Bangkok: Asia's Number One City

Lumphini Park, analogous to Central Park in NYC, just not nearly as large.
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I picked up the JetStar magazine as the plane departed from Denpasar because the cover featured an article on Bangkok.  One of the first facts the article revealed was Bangkok's rank as a leisure destination.  It came in second in the world only to Sydney and was first in Asia for the seventh year in a row.  I had only heard little about the city first hand, and although those reports were good, they were not nearly as gleaming as these claims.  To say the least, my expectations were now quite high.

However, it still provides the same necessary escape from the urban doldrums.
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My adventure began shortly after putting down the magazine.  An small Indonesian man named Robert began asking me questions about my time in Bali, my home country, and my plans for Thailand.  After we established some information on each other (read: me on him), he asked if I needed a ride from the airport.  I told him that would be very helpful as long as it did not put him out.  He said a long-time friend of his would be picking him up and going through the center of the city so stopping at the downtown youth hostel would be no problem.  Smiling at my good fortune, I found myself in a taxi with him and his friend shortly after we cleared customs.  However, we didn't really go through the city.  We went to a hotel that Robert had previously reserved.  Once we had all gone up to his room he suggested that I just stay with him for the night since it was already quite late and we didn't exactly know where the hostel was located.  Did this mean both men were staying here?  Was this an invitation for more than sleep?  If it was, I wasn't ready for this side of Thailand to introduce itself to me so quickly.  However, I remembered Robert talking about his other travels in Europe and Australia and being a member of homestay websites.  He must have sensed my uneasiness as well and still offered to take me somewhere immediately if that is really what I wanted.  This offer coupled with his other travel experience was enough to get me to agree.  I locked up my bag and slept with a bit more awareness as well as anxiety.  From the moment I stepped into the cab at the airport to the room in the hotel to breakfast the next morning and the cab to the hostel, neither Robert nor his friend let me pay or arrange anything.  Whether I needed to make phone calls or simply wanted to buy a bottle of water, one of the two made sure I was cared for.  I said goodbye to them shortly after lunch, and Robert told me something as parting advice.  "Asia is different from Europe or America.  Be wise but don't be afraid to trust people."  Good advice, Robert.  Thank you.

"The cheapest ride around town is via a tailor."

The wall outside the US Embassy. A wall I will not soon forget.
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As with most cities, I planned on spending several days in Bangkok not only to plan more of my Thai travels but also to explore the city and what it had to offer.  My curiosity had been piqued even more since learning of its status as a travel destination.  Many street signs are co-printed in English; maps are well drawn and annotated; and people are usually smiling if not offering to help with their limited English proficiency.  The metro, skytrain, and buses are cheap and frequent yet the sheer volume of food vendors dwarf public transport's conveniences.  As I used public transport for next-to-nothing and ate for even less while I explored the various parks, temples, and monuments, I began to see why Bangkok ranked so highly with travelers.  The combination of easy, independent movement, low costs, and sensory fulfillment BUT in an unmistakeable Eastern culture is a hard one to beat.

One of the other things Bangkok is known to travelers for having is expansive, inexpensive shopping malls like this one.
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Unfortunately, even in Bangkok, not all people are happy or helpful.  During one of my days of exploration, I found myself walking along a wall which had a picture of the Thai and US flag blended together.  Next to it was a picture of the earth with a message of cooperation written next to it.  I liked both of these and snapped a picture.  A few minutes later as I continued to walk along the wall I realized I was in front of the US Embassy.  At this time, two guards ordered me into a room.  I asked them why and showed them my US passport, but it warranted no response.  Very rudely I was ordered to delete all photos of the embassy from my camera.  Again I asked why, but that word didn't seem to compute.  After I complied, I asked to go inside the embassy since I was a US citizen and had never been inside one.  Their response?  A laugh and a "have a good day, sir" as they led me out.  I was angry and ashamed.  My first and only rude encounter thus far in the Land of Smiles has been at the hands of my own country.  Are they worried about information gathering which could lead to an attack?  Do they fear retribution caused by policy and action they have implemented?  I am a novice in dealing with embassies as a whole, but I hope other citizens and guests to US Embassies have not experienced what I did.

Inside my first Tuk-Tuk. The driver insisted I get behind the wheel.
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On my better days, I wandered around sites close to the metro or skytrain, which were both situated near my hostel.  I bought fresh watermelon and pineapple for 60 cents and wandered through Lumphini Park, the largest greenbelt in downtown.  I'd hop on and off trains at different monuments, such as the Victory Monument and Democracy Monument, as well as shrines, such as the Erawan, and landmarks, like the Giant Swing, which I really didn't understand.  When it came time to see some of the famous temples and Grand Palace, I needed a new form of transport, one synonymous with Thai travel, the tuk-tuk.

In transit...
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Like the price of many goods and services in Thailand, a tuk-tuk fare is entirely negotiable.  The driver begins with a price that is three or four times too high.  The passenger rebuts with one that is slightly too low.  This lets the driver know that he/she will not be taken for a ride...well, not yet.  However, in the case of a male prospective passenger, the driver may actually offer an even lower fare if a stop at a tailor is agreed upon.  I told the driver that I wasn't going to buy anything and he said that's fine.  He explained, in a whisper for some reason, that he gets gasoline credit just for stopping.  "You help me, I help you," he said.  "Fine, let's do it," was my reply.  I was out of my element in a custom suit shop, but I'm a fair actor and a quick learner.  At the end of that first visit, I agreed to a second one across the street in exchange for a free tuk-tuk ride.  The first stop had only been 5 minutes, so what was another 5?  When I was finished sightseeing for the day, I decided to try the same stunt coming home, not mentioning that I had stopped on the way there.  And, since there are oodles of tailors in the greater Bangkok area, I thought the chances of hitting the same store were slim, nonetheless I was prepared for that as well.  I entered my third and fourth stores with great confidence as I now had enough working knowledge of suit styles, my measurements, and fabrics.  Had my conversation been filmed, I could have used the tape to audition for Candid Camera.  I left each shop with a business card and no intent to follow up but a smile from the free entertainment. In four days of wandering, I experienced enough of the city to understand its popularity as a travel destination.  I saw the essentials yet still managed to have plenty of unique experiences.  It was at this juncture that I met up with two friends and traveled into the Gulf of Thailand to my first Thai island, Koh Samui.